We exited the library shortly thereafter, though I found myself wishing that I could stay a little longer. Jared checked his watch. "Crap! We're going to be late."

Oh shit.

Jared took my arm and sprinted to the dining room as fast as we could. He opened the door slowly, and we silently slunk to our places at the massive table. Mr. Cope, who was seated at the head of the table importantly, huffed at our late entrance.

"Mr. Turner, Miss - what is your name, miss?" I swallowed the lump in my throat and lifted my head to meet his icy gaze. "Reese Daniels. I only just got here this morning." Mr. Cope smiled, a warm, friendly smile, to my surprise. "That explains why I didn't know you. Well, welcome home, Miss Daniels." I smiled in appreciation at his words. Mr. Cope then turned to Jared. "Jared, your tardiness is excused. Don't let it happen again." "Yes sir. I-I mean no, sir. It won't happen again." I almost laughed; seeing Jared intimidated was fun.

"Everyone, can we welcome Reese to our humble home?" Cope spoke in a gravelly, authoritative tone. A chorus of 'Welcome, Reese's erupted from all around the table. "Now, introductions," Donna, the children's librarian said, going to clap her hands together but stopping when some of the kids flinched. "Sorry," she said sheepishly. "Anyway. You've already met me and Miss Clementine. Now, there are many others that I'd like you to meet."

Donna gestured to the woman on her right side, a petite, kind-looking lady with long black hair. "Firstly, this is Ms. Delagrange. Or you may call her Jean. She runs all of the counseling services here at Cope. She administers individual and group therapy and prescribes medications when the need arises. She is also our one and only nurse. However, we were all taught in CPR and basic first aid." I waved at Ms. Delagrange, and she returned the gesture.

Next, I was formally introduced to the kind woman that had greeted me at the door, Misty. The cooks, all nice and apparently almost legendary for their skills, were named Hazel, Sarah, and Allison. I met the head of the sports department, Jamie Cook, and the head of the music department, Sandy Watson. I was also officially introduced to Miss Laura Reger, the one that Jared had tipped me off about. I met two supervisors, (people who look in on us in our rooms and do things for us and basically take care of us) Lily White and Honey Malibu. (Yes, that's her real name)

The last two people that I met were the most interesting. Brandon Bellaruse taught art and the drama department. He looked like my distant cousin, Chad, from Mom's side of the family. Brandon - there was just something about his eyes. I could tell that he had been through hell and back. He seemed incredibly strict and drill-sergeant like, but I could tell that inside, he was nothing but a big teddy bear with an army jacket and blonde hair.

The second person that I met was Jared and I's supervisor, Noel. Her eyes had poems inside of them that paper couldn't handle. I could tell by the smile lines on her face that she was kind-hearted. She had long, flowing red hair and a Harry Potter necklace dangling around her neck.

I could tell that we would be friends.

When Noel waved at me, I noticed scars on her arms. They were small and white, only a tiny contrast to her naturally pale skin. I wondered her battles.

Next, Mr. Cope went around the table, introducing the residents of Cope. I met seventeen teenagers in all. Sophie was thirteen, the youngest of all of them, and a gorgeous blonde. Her sister, Riley, who seemed to be the kind of 'mother duck' that I was used to being, was an attractive brunette of sixteen years.

After that, I met two girls, both of them seventeen. They were obviously best friends. One had her hair dyed blue and black and was wearing just about all of the band merchandise possible. She was named Haley. The other girl was, in contrast, painfully normal-looking. She had blonde hair with blue highlights in it and was wearing a T-shirt and slacks. I noticed that she had a huge amount of makeup piled on her face. Her name was Rose.

I noticed that the next two people that I was introduced to were obviously a couple. They were both sixteen. The boy had brown hair that was swept to the side attractively, and was wearing a Fall Out Boy jacket. The girl had long black hair that was neatly parted and brushed to lay against her back softly. They were holding hands when they met me. The boy's name was Chris, and the girl's name was Sasha.

The other two people that I met were also a couple, but they were both girls. The first one, Lisa, looked like how I would generally look; leather motorcycle jacket, biking boots with spikes, chokers, the works. Her eyes were a striking shade of blue and her hair was very black, just like Sasha's. She was eighteen. Her girlfriend, Isabelle, was sixteen and also had blue eyes, but sported long, blonde hair. I noticed scars on her wrist, as well.

Next, I was formally introduced to Daniel, the boy that had met Jared and I in the garden.

The fuckboy-non-fuckboy.

Max and Drew were next. They were brothers and identical twins. I noticed aging bruises on their faces, similar to Jared's. They were seventeen, two years older than me. I also met Carter, who was fourteen. I could immediately tell that he had a thing for Sophie. His eyes were a comforting hazel color, and he had rich brown hair that was swept off of his forehead attractively.

The next two people that I met were by far the most interesting boys that I had met so far, even exceeding the stories that I knew were behind Daniel's eyes. Alex Sanchez was a story by himself. He was wearing an army jacket almost exactly like Brandon's and his brown hair was slicked back. He definitely looked like a fuckboy. I could tell that Daniel and Alex knew each other, but I wasn't sure to what extent. When I waved at him, he winked at me. I rolled my eyes, even though I knew that if he was there, there was definitely more to the story.

Next, I met Harper. He had a shock of surprisingly attractive black hair and poignant, flashing green eyes. He was wearing a Skillet shirt and faded, cut-off jeans. He seemed to be less of a fuckboy than Alex. Instead, he was more reserved and quiet. I could tell that his mask was close to impenetrable.

After I had met Harper, Mr. Cope introduced me to a boy that looked surprisingly attractive to me. His brown hair flopped over his forehead cutely, and he had chocolate brown eyes that made it all better. He was wearing one of this under armour shirts that guys liked to wear. I found out that the boy was seventeen and his name was Matt.

The last guy that I met was named Harley, and he was the most interesting of them all. He was wearing a black, leather jacket and I could see a fitted Sleeping With Sirens t-shirt curving around his perfectly sculpted abs. He had black hair that was messy and disheveled, and eyes of the purest blue that I had ever seen. They were so intriguing that I had to stop myself from staring.

Lastly, I was introduced to Ashley, who I liked best out of them all. She had long, blonde hair, healing bruises on her face, and scars on her arm that matched Noel's. She was wearing long, thick sweatpants and a large My Chemical Romance hoodie that she was clearly swimming in. It was obvious to me that she was trying to hide herself. Her sleeves were rolled up only because everyone else's were.

Some kind of 'we have a new person' ritual here, I guess.

Ashley seemed shy, but friendly. She was fifteen, like me. When I waved at her, she smiled a bright, genuine smile back at me.